- 1 -

Series: Pathway Through the Psalms

IT PAYS TO PRAY PSALMS 72 & LUKE 18

Text: Psalms 72:7 Psalm 72:7 7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. Introduction: In this Psalm, David is praying for his son Solomon. He prays for some very specific things. Every Christian family needs a biblical strategy for raising, educating and equipping their children for living for Christ in the midst of a fallen world. If you are a normal Christian parent then you probably have read articles, books, seen videos about marriage, parenting methods, schooling options and may have even attended various seminars, conferences and workshops. These are or can be good things. But I want you to know something if that is what you are counting on or depending on to make it as a family or a parent, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment or failure.

- 2 -

Over the last 30 or 40 years, more books have been written and more seminars given about marriage and family life than in all the preceding 2000 years of church history and yet there are more troubled families today than in any other era of church history. We have all the how-to’s by so-called experts, but families are coming apart at a higher rate than ever before within the church. I want to share this evening one part of being a parent that you cannot leave out and be successful. What we will consider is the easiest and simplest thing to do as a parent, yet one thing that is the quickest and easiest thing to be put aside of forgotten when things get hectic and or schedules get full. I want us to consider the importance of praying for our children. We read in Luke 18:1 Luke 18:1 1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; It is possible to pray and not really depend on God, but it is not possible to depend on God without praying.

- 3 -

I am not going to teach you the parable, but the principle as it applies to parenting: The principle is simple: Parents ought to depend on God in prayer at all times and not faint or lose heart and give up. Note:

1. THE SEASONS OF A PARENT’S PRAYER Life is similar to seasons. There are also seasons within our homes and with our families. Illustrations of these seasons:

Seasons before children – Parents praying to have children

Some couples are blessed to have children easily and quickly. Others pray for years and silently ache for God to bless them with a child.

Seasons of being with child – Parents pray for a healthy child and birth.

- 4 -

Season of parenting the early years – All new and prayers for wisdom as this is an all new experience.

Often parents are fearful wanting to do the right thing, make the right choices.

Season of Pre-school years – Pray that your child will begin to understand that they are a sinner and for patience as a parent

Season of Elementary School – Pray about their

friends, their protection.

Seasons of the Teen Years – Prayers again for wisdom personally and for your child.

Season of letting go – When they leave home

either to go on to school or starting a home of their own.

All of these seasons have different issues and challenges. Certainly we must trust what we read in 2 Corinthians 12:9 as we go through these seasons.

- 5 -

2 Corinthians 12:9 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

You may have prayed to have a child and you’d make great parents, but God did not give you one. – Remember His Grace Is Sufficient for you

You may have prayed for a healthy child and

healthy mother, but God may have entrusted a child with special needs to you – Remember His Grace Is Sufficient for you

You may pray for your child to make the right

choices with friends, and dating and other things but they may not always make the right choices – Remember His Grace is Sufficient for you

You may be dealing with a prodigal son or

daughter and need to accept that you can’t fix it because you have an adult child making his or her own sinful choices no matter how good a parent you’ve been – Remember His Grace is Sufficient for you

We have considered the Seasons of a Parents Prayer note secondly

- 6 -

2. THE SUBSTANCE OF A PARENT’S PRAYER In our text David was praying for his son Solomon. Note the things that David was praying for:

Discernment (vs. 1-5) Psalm 72:1-5 1 Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. 2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. 3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. 4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. 5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. Note:

o The request for Discernment (vs. 1)

o The recipient of His Discernment (vs. 2) - … “thy people” … “thy poor”

o The reverence of His Discernment (vs. 5) –

“They shall fear thee” Not only did David pray for Solomon’s discernment but also:

- 7 -

His Domination (vs. 6-8)

His Deliverance (vs. 9-14)

His Destiny (vs. 15-20) But let me address some additional things that we as parents should pray for our children; 1. SALVATION: Your child’s salvation. That he or she would come to understand the gospel and trust in Jesus Christ as savior preferably at an early age. 2. COMMITMENT: Your child’s commitment to the Lord, that your child will love the Lord with all his or her heart, soul, mind and strength. 3. CONVICTIONS: That your child will develop convictions from the Word of God that will control the choices of his or her life. 4. FUTURE: Schooling, possible mate, career. 5. PURITY of God: Desire to please God over self. 6. PROGRESS in the faith 7. POWER of God: They would experience the works of God in their own lives in response to prayer.

- 8 -

9. PEERS: Christian friends/ teachers that reinforce their faith and godly walk 10. PROTECTION: from the evil one. There can be dozens more things as parents we should pray for: Worship, joy, love the word, hate sin, love righteousness and people, glorify God, and respect those in authority, wisdom, faith. We have considered the Seasons and Substance of a Parent’s Prayer note lastly:

3. THE SERIOUSNESS OF A PARENT’S PRAYER Godly children involves depending of God in prayer. Again it is possible to pray and not depend on God, but it is not possible to depend on God without praying. Remember what we read in Psalms 127, John 15: Psalm 127:1 1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

- 9 -

John 15:5 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. All the seasons of prayer for parents involve times of testing and growing: I want to leave you “A Prayer to Pray and a Promise to Believe.” The Prayer to Pray: Ephesians 3:14-19 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

- 10 -

The Promise to Believe: Ephesians 3:20 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, God is bigger than any problem you or your child will ever face. God is able to do more than you can ever dream of asking Him for. Close: I close with a story I read some time ago. This was a story of a pastor and his wife. This pastor said: All my talking about prayer faced a severe test several years ago when my wife and I went through the darkest two and-a-half year tunnel we could imagine. Our oldest daughter had been a model child growing up. But around age 16 she started to stray. She not only drew away from us, but also away from God. In time, she even left our home. There were many nights when we had no idea where she was.

- 11 -

As the situation grew more serious, I tried everything. I begged, I pleaded, I scolded, I argued, I tried to control her actions. Nothing worked; she just hardened more and more. Her boyfriend was everything we did not want for our child. How I kept functioning through that period I don’t know. Many a Sunday morning I would put on my suit, get into the car to drive to the church early, ahead of my wife and cry for the next 25 minutes, all the way to the church door. While this was going on with Chrissy, we learned that my wife had cancer needed a hysterectomy. Like any mother who loves her children my wife; was smitten with tremendous fear and distress. Her family meant more to her than anything. How I kept functioning through that period I don’t know. Many a Sunday morning I would put on my suit, get into the car to drive to the Tabernacle early, ahead of my wife and cry for the next 25 minutes, all the way to the church door. While this was going on with our daughter, we learned that my wife had cancer needed a hysterectomy.

- 12 -

One day my wife said to me, Listen, we need to leave NY. This atmosphere has already swallowed up our daughter. We can’t keep raising kids here. If you want to stay you can --- but I’m getting our other children out. She elected not to pack up and run after all. And it was shortly after her surgery and at a very low point that God gave her a song that has touched more people than perhaps anything else she has written. Her name is Carol Cymbala. She began a choir in her husband church. It consisted of only 9 people in the beginning but now has 270 voices. That choir is now known as the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. These are the words to that song that she wrote at the low point in her and her husband’s life: In moments of fear, Through every pain, every tear, There’s a God who’s been faithful to me. When my strength was all gone, When my heart had no song, Still in love He’s proved faithful to me. Every word he’s promised is true; What I thought was impossible, I see my God do.

- 13 -

He’s been faithful, faithful to me, looking back, His love and mercy I see. Though in my heart I have questioned, Even failed to believe, Yet He’s been faithful faithful to me. When my heart looked away, The many times I could not pray, Still my God, He was faithful to me. The days I spent so selfishly, Reaching out for what pleased me; Even then God was faithful to me Every time I come back to Him, He is waiting with open arms, And I see once again. He’s been faithful, faithful to me, looking back, His love and mercy I see. Though in my heart I have questioned, Even failed to believe, Yet He’s been faithful faithful to me. Mr. Cymbala continues: Sometime later on a Thursday morning I was shaving and Carol suddenly burst through the door and blurted “Christy is here.” I wiped off the shaving foam and headed down the stairs my heart pounding. As I came around the corner,

- 14 -

I saw my daughter on the kitchen floor, rocking on her hands and knees, sobbing. She grabbed my pant leg and began pouring out her heart. Daddy, I’ve sinned against God; I’ve sinned against myself; I’ve sinned against you and mom. Please forgive me. My vision was clouded by tears as hers. I pulled her up from the floor and held her close as we cried together. Suddenly she drew back, and said who was praying for me? Who was praying for me? On Tuesday night who was praying for me? That night the church had gathered to pray for this young lady and thirty-two hours later she was back home. It was at that point the Psalms 119:90 became real to us: Psalm 119:90 90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. Mom and Dad remain faithful is praying for your children.